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Gardenias

Gardening Reference » Gardening in 2004

I have a gardenia bush in my yard that was there when we moved in last summer. It is very "leggy" and when the buds started to form this year, the poor thing started drooping! Needless to say, it doesn't look very nice with all the flowers touching the ground! I know that I can prune it back, but I want it to be full of blooms again next year! So what do I need to do to keep it from being so bare in the center? And keep the flowers from dragging? TIA!

by gardenmom32210 on June 14, 2004 01:32 PM

Prune it when the new growth starts in the spring. Thin out all crowded shoots and cut back straggly branches. If you do it at the first sign of new growth it should have time to fill out and flower. I love Gardenias,their fragrance is delectable

Karen

by pagarden on June 21, 2004 06:12 AM

few questions. i'm from south florida where gardenias grow outdoors year round and HUGE! my parents had a 6 ft wooden fence and the neighbors gardenia hung over it and my dad would cut the flowers and bring them indoors! anyhow- i am now a northerner. i got a gardenia plant to keep indoors. over the winter it was just fine and happy. when it started to warm up i brought it outdoors- i thought they liked full sun. i fried it! the leaves literally looked like they had cooked! the soil was kept moist but drained well. anyhow, i finally repotted it, pulled off the fried leaves, and moved it to the porch- it gets full sun for a few hours in early morning and the rest is shade. now i noticed a few new leaves but now the ones i hadn't fried in the first place are turning brown starting at the edges! what's wrong now? i know they need slightly acidic soil and i fertilized it with the acidic miracle grow to help it out. but the leaves keep shriveling up! any other suggestions???

by njoynit on June 21, 2004 06:24 AM

maybe the soils is too wet?the neighbors down the hill are in low area and have gardenias in front yard the leaves are yellowing& falling and mine look fine(I'm on top of hill)I don't really water mine too much it gets its own rain and if looks wilty shoot a hose its way.I have some rooted cuttings in bucket and they seem fine.I keep their water level checked every few days(or rains and dump some out) their are different KINDS of gardenia also.mine have shiney leaves big flowers likely the augasta kind& the one in ground is smaller leafed small white very fragrant flowers,the green leaf coloring MAY be lighter than the other.I grow it in some sun& will move it this fall further down in shade area(power guy told me is too close to utility pole& I informed him would fix in fall not now)

* * * *I will age ungracefully until I become an old woman in a small garden..doing whatever the Hell I want!